This website is for our local professional community, parents, children and young people to inform you about arrangements for safeguarding children in Harrow.

Here you will learn how the LSCB works and what it achieves in promoting better outcomes for children and young people in Harrow. The LSCB encourages everyone to find out more by using information on the site and through the links to documents and external sites.

“As the partnership of all agencies working with children and young people in Harrow, the Safeguarding Board is working to raise awareness of this issue in the community ,in schools and in business’s, identify and support those at those at risk of sexual exploitation and further strengthen the work to prosecute perpetrators of this abuse.”

As well as these current courses, a new on-line CSE course will be up and running in springtime to help reach a wider audience – please watch out for our news items or contact the HSCB Team for further information.

·Child Sexual Exploitation is a crime that can affect any child, anytime, anywhere – regardless of their social or ethnic background.

·It involves offenders grooming youngsters and using their power to sexually abuse them. It can take many forms, whether it occurs through a seemingly ‘consensual’ relationship with an older boyfriend, or a young person having sex in return for attention, gifts, alcohol or cigarettes.

·Sexual exploitation is child abuse and, although they may not realise it, it puts the young victim at huge risk of damage to their physical, emotional and psychological health.

·Many young people who are being abused do not realise they are at risk and will not call for help. They may see themselves as willing participants when in fact their behaviour is anything but consenting.

·And, while there is no stereotypical victim of exploitation, there are warning signs in children’s behaviour that may indicate something is wrong – and if you know what you’re looking for, you can take steps to help them.

What are the signs you need to know?

·Has the young person received unexplained gifts or money?

·Do they use their mobile phone secretively?

·Do they have significantly older friends?

·Have they been picked up from home or school by someone you don’t know?

·Are they associating with other young people who are already known to be vulnerable or involved in exploitation?

·Have they started playing truant from school or regularly going missing from home?

·Have they suffered from a sexually-transmitted infection?

·Are they self-harming?

·Has their appearance changed?

And what makes a child more at risk?

·If they come from a chaotic or dysfunctional household

·A lack of friends in the same age group

·Confused about their sexuality

·History of domestic abuse or neglect

·Learning disabilities

·Have come into contact with other exploited youngsters, e.g. at school

·Have suffered a recent bereavement or loss

·Are homeless or living in residential care, a hostel or bed and breakfast

·Have low self-esteem or confidence

·Young carer

·Live in a gang neighbourhood

Key messages about offenders

·Offenders come from many different social and ethnic backgrounds but they all have one thing in common. They are abusing young people and are using their status or position to exploit vulnerable victims.

·We recognise that in recent high profile cases, some BME communities have been disproportionately represented, far from ignoring this, we are tackling the issue head on by working with the local communities and community forums to raise awareness.

·We will continue to target, warn and prosecute offenders to hit home the message that this type of behaviour is not just unacceptable, it is criminal, and we will pursue those people involved and bring them to justice, irrespective of their backgrounds.

·If you are concerned about a young person you know, call the Harrow Police on 101. In an emergency always dial 999.

·A new website for young people was launched in September so please encourage as many as possible to visit www.trusted2know.co.uk where they can get help and advice on a range of subjects including this one.

Support and advice in Harrow

•All referrals to go through to the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub – MASH. Telephone the Golden Number 0208 901 2690

vMASE

vKala Mistry - Young People's DV Advocate 020 8416 8794

vAhmed Abdi - gangs project coordinator -020 8736 6740

vHarrow Sexual Health Clinics

vDan Burke - Ignite: dburke@ignitetrust.org.uk

vPhone: 0208863 2089

vThe Wish Centre (see next slide)

WISH have a Sexual Violence Advocacy Service (ISVA) for young people who have experienced current or historic sexual violence, including rape, sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, gang related sexual violence, child sexual abuse.

Advocacy support includes confidential access to services and support through the criminal justice process when needed.
contact guardianangel@thewishcentre.org.uk or call or text Matilda on 07527187177

Harrow Shield - Work in schools in partnership with Harrow Police WISH are running a series of awareness raising and targeted training events in Harrow schools

vMothers against gangs http://mothersagainstgangs.co.uk/

Harrow is establishing a new HSCB CSE Sub-committee: priority focus on quality and rolling out awareness raising to practitioners, the local community, children and young people and families. If you would like to be part of this dynamic group please contact ruth.curry@harrow.gov.uk

Harrow Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) is a statutory body which co-ordinates, monitors and challenges its partner agencies in safeguarding children in Harrow.

The Children Act 2004 (S13) required that children's services authorities establish a Local Safeguarding Children Board for their area. The statutory guidance document Working Together to Safeguard Children 2013 (HM Government) sets out how this should be done.

Most agencies and organisations that provide services to adults and children must make arrangements to ensure that they safeguard and promote the welfare of children (Children Act 2004 Section 11 and Education Act 2002 Section 175 (c.32)). This also applies to any services commissioned by them. These responsibilities are set out in the Department for Education Section 11 arrangements and responsibilities document.

To ensure that we all take responsibility for safeguarding children and considering their welfare, we want to identify vulnerable children and young people earlier and work in a coordinated, integrated way to help them before things reach crisis point.

In pursuit of the overall effectiveness of the Harrow Local Safeguarding Children Board in improving outcomes for children, the Board has a key role in identifying what needs to change to make a difference to the lives of children.

The Board and its sub-groups engage in numerous activities to establish what is working well and what needs improvement, and this framework will provide an opportunity to make the required links between the identification of what needs to improve and the various mechanisms available to the Board to achieve those improvements. Download Learning and Improvement document

The LSCB Annual Report on the effectiveness of safeguarding in the local area sets out the Board's priorities and drives the development of services in safeguarding children and young people in Harrow.

All children and young people regardless of age, disability, gender, race or sexuality are considered within the work of the Board.

LSCB team members are happy to visit local organisations, teams or clubs to talk to you more about safeguarding children. Contact us here lscb@harrow.gov.uk

IF YOU ARE A YOUNG PERSON WHO IS WORRIED ABOUT A FRIEND OR ABOUT YOUR OWN SAFETY CLICK ON THE CHILDLINE BUTTON BELOW.

IF YOU ARE A PARENT/CARER OR MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC AND YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT A CHILD CLICK THE NSPCC BUTTON BELOW OR CALL 999.

IF YOU ARE A LOCAL PROFESSIONAL PLEASE FIND THE INFORMATION ON THE GOLDEN NUMBER ON THE RIGHT AND DETAILS ABOUT THE CAF.